Vanity Fair Nominates Pamela Bell

B__ecause,__ like cavemen, we are all fundamentally artists who need to express ourselves; because we all stand for something that will make the world a better place; and because we all need purposeful work, there is Prinkshop, a community of designers who create silkscreened T-shirts, notebooks, canvas tote bags, and other accessories to promote and advocate for social causes. Started in 2013 in New York City by Pamela Bell, Prinkshop inherits the tradition that stretches back to the artists employed by the Federal Art Project of the W.P.A. through the Atelier Populaire students who contributed their innovations to the posters of the 1968 Paris spring, to the American artists who protested segregation and the Vietnam War. Prinkshop’s offerings all tell a visual story through inventive wordplay, striking shapes, and question-promoting graphics. They generate awareness about a range of issues from dyslexia, marriage equality, women’s rights, and aid for Haiti to funding school supplies through DonorsChoose.org. To ensure that the activism is not just colorful and eye-catching rhetoric, all of Prinkshop’s products are manufactured in the United States to provide meaningful jobs, and a portion of the proceeds goes to support the causes on the various items sold. Because Prinkshop’s creations mingle visual stories with causes, jobs with art, and inclusive community with financial support, they serve to inspire a new generation to make the world a better place for all of humanity.